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kurmit  ·  4350 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Is Algebra Necessary?

    What of the claim that mathematics sharpens our minds and makes us more intellectually adept as individuals and a citizen body? It’s true that mathematics requires mental exertion. But there’s no evidence that being able to prove (x² + y²)² = (x² - y²)² + (2xy)² leads to more credible political opinions or social analysis.

Show me a true intellectual who doesn't understand basic algebra and I'll take that statement a little more seriously. It's true intellectual dishonesty on the author's part, dismissing the notion that medium-level math might provide more benefit than is immediately obvious.